Trump and the not-so-silent majority

I've been confidently predicting a Trump presidency for the past
six months or so, and I've endured scoffing and ridicule for
roughly the same amount of time!

My confidence in a Trump win grew every time I heard a
commentator announce he was 'unelectable', or read social media
posts arrogantly dismissing everyone voting for him as a
'racist'.

In fact, I was so confident he'd win I booked a trip to
Washington DC so that I could be there to watch the results come in
on election night. And so it was, wine glass in hand, that I saw
all my predictions come true: a Trump presidency, a
Republican-controlled Congress and a shell-shocked and desperately
out-of-touch elite lost for words.

Now friends are asking me "how did you know?". The answer is
simple: the so-called 'silent majorities' in Western nations around
the world have grown so tired of being ignored and let down that
they've decided not to remain silent anymore. Not for one more
minute, and certainly not for another four years.

Brexit 2.0

Anyone who followed the Brexit referendum in the UK should have
been easily able to predict a Trump victory in the US. People are
just no longer persuaded by the elder statesmen and stateswomen of
major parties, or by out-of-touch political commentators. And
they're certainly not persuaded by billionaire celebrity
endorsements.

People ask me: "aren't you offended by Trump's comments and past
behaviour?'. The answer is yes, but I'm far more offended by
politicians who promise to help small business owners but then do
nothing for them when they're elected.

Friends say: "surely Trump's simplistic answers to complex
questions cause you concern?'. Yes, they do. But I'm even more
concerned by unelected bureaucrats at the Human Rights Commission
doing their best to stifle freedom of expression, and by our
politicians doing nothing about it.

Readers ask: "Doesn't Trump's world view alarm you?'. Yes, it
does. But I'm far more alarmed to live in a country where a Vice
President of the Fair Work Commission can take 11 months of
fully-paid sick leave on a tax payer-funded salary of over $400,000
p.a and spend that time helping his partner (unsuccessfully) escape
conviction for stealing union members' money!

The bottom line

At the end of the day, both Trump's victory and the vote for
Brexit were obvious to me and many (millions of) others who have
grown weary of the 'business-as-usual' approach taken by our
politicians. That approach consistently fails those who work hard,
those who run businesses, those who employ others and those who
respect the rule of law.

What's next?

My next prediction: the Coalition will be defeated at the next
election - and minor parties such as One Nation will surge - unless
Malcolm Turnbull and his cabinet stop ignoring and start listening
to the now not-so-silent majority.